


The Curse of the Golden Swan

by kickmeinthecsfeels



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Adventure, Drama, F/M, Golden swan - Freeform, Magic, Princess - Freeform, curse, pirate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-04-11 15:57:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4442030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickmeinthecsfeels/pseuds/kickmeinthecsfeels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pirate Captain Killian Jones and his lover, Milah, decide to steal the Golden Swan, a mythical gold statue, from the castle of a giant.  They expected the gold statue to make them richer than they ever dreamed.  They never dreamed this. There will be a major character(s) death.  My muse has an outline for a multi-chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My muse decided to go on ahead and do a multi-chapter of this work.

Killian weighed the idea in his head. The Golden Swan. He had heard many varied tales of the Golden Swan. A thousand years ago, a princess with the beauty and grace of a swan was cursed and made into a statue of pure gold. A thousand years ago, a swan that was a cursed princess was turned into a statue made of pure gold. A thousand years ago, a swan was cursed and made into a statue of pure gold.

Whatever the story was, there was treasure to be found.

He stared at Milah who had proposed the idea of going after the Golden Swan. They had been together for several years, sailing the oceans and seas together. Going after treasure. Sometimes they found treasure, well, stolen it was more likely the case, sometimes they found nothing. Milah loved being a pirate and the freedom she would never have had, had she stayed at home.

Ever since Killian took her willingly away from a boring, desolate life, away from a cowardly husband and young son, she constantly sought adventure. She had heard the story of the Golden Swan from a traveler at a tavern. The traveler told her the story of a giant that kept the Golden Swan in his castle in the sky. It was a story that he had come across, but this story had a stamp of authenticity surrounding it. Milah began to quickly read stories and accounts of the Golden Swan. She followed up every lead and every tale until she managed to calculate the whereabouts of the golden statue.

She laid out her findings to Killian to persuade him to seek the treasure with her.

"You believe this Golden Swan really exists?" Killian asked with a thoughtful expression.

"I do," Milah said confidently.

"Even if we don't get our hands on the mythical Golden Swan, we can still make a profit," Killian considered. "This giant has other treasures stashed away in his castle. Let's do it."

Milah held up a glass of rum to toast the occasion. "To the Golden Swan!"

Killian lifted his glass to clink it with Milah's, "To the Golden Swan!"

Under the coat of darkness, they crept closer to the castle where the giant kept his treasure. The castle was on top of a hill where a fog would always settle due to a mountain range and rainy weather that plagued the area, thus leading to the description of a castle in the sky. They stumbled over a garden and hid behind some bean bushes. Killian could tell that the giant prudently tended his beans. He observed how the climbing vines wound themselves around a carefully constructed trellis. They walked without caring how they crushed the plants under their boots.

Silently, Killian and Milah crept through an open window and soundlessly, they found the hall where the giant slept on a big chair at the end of a very large trestle table. The giant was actually a very tall man that was almost nine feet high. Upon closer inspection, they observed his prominent jaw and thickening of his facial features. He continued to snore loudly as they sneaked past him towards what they could see was his treasure. Mounds and mounds of gold coins, necklaces of pearls and precious stones, plates and cups made of the finest metals and finally, what looked like a statue of a human. It was covered with a cloth. When Killian looked underneath the cloth he could see a woman's boot made of gold.

His eyes gleamed and Milah's smile was victorious. Both Killian and Milah lifted the statue up. The gold made the statue less heavy than they expected. They slowly carried the statue past the giant, praying that he wouldn't wake up. When they got to the door, Killian opened it carefully until they heard a creaking sound of the hinges. They heard the giant's snores break and they both froze when they heard his long yawn.

He was awake.

Finally, they heard the giant roar.

"How dare you take what belongs to me!" the giant bellowed.

Killian and Milah ran for it. After they both got through the door with the statue, one of Killian's crew shut the door behind them and another two crew members rolled a giant rock in front of it to bar the door so the giant wouldn't follow.

They all took off at a break neck speed towards an open horse drawn wagon where they dumped the statue and boarded it quickly. They took off racing down the road, the driver urging the horse to a full gallop while the giant burst through the window, broken glass flying everywhere, and gave them chase. As soon as they got a comfortable distance away, they watched the giant slow his steps to a halt.

They all laughed and let out whoops of glee as they had successfully stolen the treasure. They arrived at the docks and Killian screamed directions to his men that were loading the golden statue onto his ship, the Jolly Roger. They lowered the statue into the hold with ropes and pulleys. Once it was secure, they cast off.

By the time, they sailed a goodly distance away, Killian felt it was a good time for the reveal. Only Killian and Milah were in the hold when they decided to uncover the statue. Milah untied the ropes and pulled the cloth off with a flourish to see a golden statue of a beautiful woman who seemed frozen in time.

The first thing Killian noticed was her hands were outstretched as if she was trying to stop something terrible from happening. One foot was in front of the other as if she was trying to move forward quickly. Her face revealed a combination of shock, sorrow, apprehension and distress. She was beautiful, nonetheless. It took Killian's breath away.

"Killian, can you believe it?" Milah was awestruck at how much gold there was. "We are going to be wealthy beyond our wildest dreams!"

Killian was still staring at the haunting, tragic beauty of the statue. It was almost lifelike. The artist that created this must have been truly talented.

"Remember when we landed on that island with an abandoned blacksmith shack? We should take the statue there with all the equipment and melt it down ourselves," Milah eyes filled with eager voracity. "So we can make our own coins and trade them. What do you think?"

Melt it down?

This shook Killian out of his trance. He thought about it for a moment. Everything in his heart screamed at him to not melt down the statue, but his head said something else.

"That sounds like a good plan," Killian was uncertain of his words. "Don't tell the crew what we came back with. Their avarice might lead to a mutiny."

Milah realized the truth in those words. There were a few crewmen they really trusted but the rest might revolt if they learned the treasure was as great as it was. Fewer people to split the gold meant more gold per share. They needed to be careful.

"I'll tell them that it is gold plated and we are going to carefully melt that off and sell it to a gold trader," Milah added.

"Sounds like a plan," Killian willed himself to keep his eyes away from the statue. "Set a course for that island."

Milah nodded and climbed up the ladder to the upper deck to shout the orders.

Killian was left alone with the statue. He was finally free to study it openly. His pulse started to quicken as he devoured the sight of the statue. For some reason and he couldn't fathom why, he was utterly enthralled by it. Was it the sight of so much gold that beguiled him? Or was it the form? The curve of the cheek? The contour of the lips? The abundance of hair in waves down her back? The mesmerizing expression of her eyes?

He had no idea why it had absorbed his attention. He was never an art lover.

He finally tore his gaze away and resolved to climb up the ladder to tend to other matters, making sure to lock the door behind him.

Days later, Killian was getting increasingly irritated with Milah. She spoke of nothing but the gold statue and how much they could get for it once they melted it down. He snapped at her a few times which got Milah screaming back at him.

"What is wrong with you?" Milah yelled.

Killian just turned on his heel and left her open-mouthed.

The thought of melting down that beautiful statue repulsed him. But how was he to explain this to Milah?

Every night he would wait until Milah was asleep. Then he crept down into the hold to longingly stare at the statue. The details entranced him. She wore a long vest that was belted making her waist look so narrow. Underneath was a simple tunic. The decorative buttons on her clothes were in the shape of buttercups which was a rather curious choice. Her breeches seemed to pour over her shapely hips and buttocks which led down to her legs that were long and lean. Her boots completed her ensemble.

Each night he would make up stories in his head as to why she was in that alarming pose. Why the expression on her face seemed so desolate and upset? Did someone just try to kill someone she loved? Was she trying to stop some mishap? He would sometimes shake himself out of his contemplation and laugh at how silly he was being. It was just a statue, right?

One night he realized how close they were to their destination where the Golden Swan statue would be melted down. He waited again for Milah to fall asleep when he crept down to the where the Golden Swan was to eagerly devour the sight of it.

His mind again would wander until he had a vision of how this beautiful statue would look as a real woman. He pictured golden hair, green eyes and glowing skin. He could see her smile and feel the warmth of her body. It was as if he had a memory of another lifetime where he was standing next to this living, breathing woman. His body humming with excitement, his heart bursting with adoration. It just seemed so real.

For the first time since she was revealed to him, he reached out to touch her cheek and run a finger over her lips. He couldn't help himself. He laughed at his urge to kiss her lips. He was getting ridiculous, but as much as he chastised himself for desiring a statue, the urge was still there.

 _Why not give in? Just this once_.

He leaned in and kissed the statue.

He heard a gasp as he turned around to see Milah watching him through the slight opening of the latch door.

Then he turned back to the statue as he began to see it sparkle. A light shone from within. He had witnessed real magic occurring in the past so there was no mistaking it when he realized it was happening now. From head to toe the golden statue magically transformed into a real woman. The woman he had pictured in his mind was now standing in front of him.

Her breath let out in a whoosh and she collapsed into his embrace.

He thought she was dead but then heard her faint breathing. The woman was alive but unconscious in his arms.

He heard Milah let out a shriek, "No!"

She quickly climbed down the ladder.

"How could you? All that gold! Gone!" Milah screamed.

The implications suddenly hit them both. He kissed her and broke the curse.

He let the woman slowly lay down on the floor, cradling her head as she went. He turned to Milah to calm her down, but she had such a look of disgust at him.

"I can't believe you," Milah kept whispering over and over. She felt as if he had cheated on her, but with a statue? The thought of it was just unfathomable. Now the statue is a real woman? What would that mean to them?

He tried to find the words to explain himself but he just couldn't. All he could say was her name, "Milah," over and over again.

With just a look of frustration, she turned to climb up the ladder. Her only thought was getting her hands on a bottle of rum stashed in the room they shared and consuming it until she was numb.

Killian watched her leave. When he turned back to the woman, the Golden Swan, he heard her stirring. When she came to awareness, she looked shocked and distressed.

"Is he dead?" she asked when she was finally cognizant of his presence.

"Who?" Kilian asked in a calm voice.

"My love, " she said in a small voice that held a tiny tendril of hope.

Most likely he was dead if the stories were true. She was a golden statue for a thousand years. Her love would have died long ago.

"Yes," he breathed his response.

Her body was wracked with sobs and grief. It was as if it happened a moment ago, whatever havoc and chaos befell her. All he could do was comfort her until her emotions were spent.

Once her crying slowed down to an ebb, she looked up at him and asked, "Where am I?"

"You're on a pirate ship. I'm the Captain," Killian told her. "You were turned into a gold statue. Do you remember?"

"I remember being hit by magic and after that, nothing," Emma spoke through her tears and sorrow.

"It's been over a thousand years."

Emma's eyes were wide with disbelief. Everyone she knew and cared about was gone.

"What's your name?"

"It's Emma. Emma Swan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A life size solid gold statue would likely be too heavy for two people to carry but it's Enchanted Forest gold which is much lighter in case anyone was wondering.


	2. Chapter 2

Milah waited for the amber liquid that still burned in her throat to do its own magic, to soothe her nerves and calm her emotions until she felt nothing but a pleasant, weightless feeling. She hummed and started singing.

  
_Oh! I am uneasy_  
_And troubled in mind,_  
_Oh! I am uneasy_  
_And troubled in mind._  
_Here's no joy nor pleasure,_  
_Here's sorrow none can measure,_  
_Here's no joy nor pleasure_  
_In this world can I find._

  
She didn’t want to think, didn’t want to feel. She’ll wait for the morning to do that. She poured more rum into her glass and downed it. Putting the tumbler down with a jolt on the table, though making sure it wasn’t too hard so as not to break it. She didn’t want to clean up broken glass that night. It was an impatient move. She wanted the rum to start working quicker.

  
Then she felt it, the liquor started doing its work, making her feel sleepy and ragged. She stood up from her chair and twirled around to see if she would lose her balance. It did. She stumbled towards the bed and laughed. It was silly but anything to keep her from thinking about what happened. She crept into bed and lay down facing the wall. She lay there for a while until she heard Killian come in. She pretended to sleep so she didn’t have to talk to him.

  
Killian knew Milah’s moods. If she decided she didn’t want to talk to him, she wouldn’t. He had just escorted what was formerly known as the Golden Swan, now Emma Swan, to the brig so she can lay on a cot undisturbed and protected from his crew. He made sure to pocket the key so no one else would have access to her. The blonde’s sorrow was palpable. Her grief filled the air. He would hear her story later but the immediate problem was Milah.

  
He let out a sigh after he surveyed the empty tumbler and opened rum bottle on the table. He carefully took off Milah’s boots so that she would be more comfortable sleeping. He left her clothes on so she could sleep or avoid him, whatever was easiest. He felt partially relieved that she didn’t want to talk. What could he possibly say to her? He didn’t even know himself. What made him kiss the statue? It was almost as if he was drawn by an invisible force, every fiber in his being screamed to kiss it. Maybe he was finally losing his mind. He decided to sleep in order to rest his brain. Maybe he would think clearer when he woke up.

  
He undressed and lay down next to Milah. His thoughts kept going back to Emma Swan. Her presence felt familiar. But he would have remembered if he met someone like her before. She was even more beautiful than her statue. It seemed like he understood why she was sad, but didn’t know the events that led up to it. He fell asleep wondering what kind of a man Emma Swan called “her love.”

  
Emma woke up to the early morning light in her eyes that felt scratchy, puffy and achy as a result from crying herself to sleep. She felt disoriented and it took a while before she realized where she was. Then the memories from last night came rushing back to her, frozen for a thousand years, waking up on a pirate ship, being escorted by the Captain to her sleeping quarters, also known as the brig. She slowly tested her muscles as she got up, trying to get the kinks out and spied the chamber pot to perform her ablutions. She quickly took care of her needs. Once she did, she sat in her narrow cot and leaned against the wall unable to think or feel anymore. Her emotions were spent for the time being.

  
She heard the door open and footsteps coming down a ladder. It was the captain of the pirate ship. She hardly turned her head to look at him. If he looked at him it would remind her that she needed to think of the immediate future and she wasn’t ready to do that yet.

  
Killian unlocked the door to the brig and swung the bar doors open.

  
“Your breakfast, milady,” Killian set down a plate of food on a small table near Emma Swan.

  
He noticed she didn’t turn her head to look in his direction or acknowledge him in anyway. Her eyes seemed to stare off into the distance.

  
“Are you alright?” Killian asked.

  
“I won’t ever be,” her lifeless voice said.

  
It reminded him of how he was when his brother Liam died. Completely desolate. As much as he wanted to comfort her, he knew there was nothing he could do so he left her and went back to steer the ship. _Let time heal her wounds._ It would have been awkward anyway if he had tried to put an arm around her or whatever people do to ease someone’s grief.

  
He watched Milah walk across the deck to perform her duties. Even though she was his woman, she still pulled her weight on his ship. He left her still sleeping when he left his cabin this morning. They still hadn’t spoken about what happened. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t explain his actions.

  
After some time passed, he realized Milah was ignoring him. She hadn’t spoken to him or looked in his direction all morning long. _Let her seethe for now and she’ll calm down later._

  
Later was this afternoon. Killian walked into their cabin to find Milah sitting up on the bed and reading a book. He pulled up a chair to have a conversation.

  
“We need to talk about what happened last night,” Killian started.

  
“What happened, Killian?” Milah snapped the book she was reading shut and placed it on the side table looking at him expectantly.

  
“I don’t know why I kissed the statue.”

  
“Well, that helps!” she answered sarcastically.

  
“It happened and I can’t take it back!”

  
“A curse like that can only be broken by…a type of…kiss!” MIlah didn’t even want to say the words.

  
“I don’t even know the woman.”

  
“Which makes it even more insane! What are you going to tell the crew?”

  
“I’ll tell them the treasure turned into a woman. They don’t need to know how.”

  
“What are you going to do about her?” Milah looked at him point blank.

  
Killian wasn’t sure what to do about her. She had no one in this world. Letting her off at the next harbor was just as abhorrent to him as melting her statue into gold coins. But if that was what Milah wanted then he’d do it.

  
“Is there anything in your research that could possibly tell us who she is? Emma Swan?” Killian needed to stall, maybe figure out where she came from and take her there. At least she’ll be familiar with the land that she came from.

  
“Oh, so you found out her name?” Milah looked at him with accusation in her eyes. “She came from the Enchanted Forest.”

  
“We’ll take her there,” Kiliian decided. It would be another month of travel to get to the Enchanted Forest. He also knew Milah would want to see her son.

  
Milah’s ears picked up.

  
“Maybe it’s time I visit my son,” Milah felt this was good enough time to ask. Not only was Baelfire old enough to live on a pirate ship but she could tell Killian was feeling contrite enough to grant her what she had been wanting to do - take Bae with them.

  
“Aye, it would be good for you to see your son,” Killian had a twinge of guilt when Milah mentioned Bae. _What must the lad think of him? Of the man that took his mother away on his ship?_ Even if she did beg to go, it still never sat right with Killian that he assisted in parting a child from his mother. It was unforgivable. He remembered what it was like to be parted from his father and mother. He shook it off by thinking Bae was just another child among many that was left alone in the world, just like others had before him and will come after him.

  
Killian cast off his guilt same as every time he thought of his past misdeeds. He was a pirate and there was no room for softness on board a pirate ship. If the lad didn’t forgive him then he would just have to accept it.

  
“So it’s settled then, we’re going to the Enchanted Forest,” Killian squeezed her knee as a sign of reassurance. He got up to go on deck and call out the orders giving them a new heading.

  
For the past two days Emma didn’t touch her food that Killian brought her. He was getting worried that she would starve herself to death.

  
“Bad form to waste food, Swan,” Killian tried to make his voice sound rough.

  
“I can’t swallow it,” Emma said. Nothing could get past the lump in her throat. It would just come back up anyway.

  
“Maybe a walk on the deck would do you good?” Killian offered. He already told his crew that the golden statue changed to a woman. They had so many questions but when their Captain didn’t want to give explanations, they knew to stop asking.

  
They were all interested to see the woman but also feared her. Sailors were a superstitious bunch and that may either work for or against her favor.

  
“I’m allowed out?” Emma was surprised.

  
“You're not a prisoner.  These bars are to keep the crew away from you.”

  
_Typical pirates._ “Alright,” Emma acquiesced. She stood up while Killian unlocked the door.

  
He let her climb the ladder first.

  
The sea spray felt good on her face. Looking out at the vastness of the ocean made her feel smaller which was a bit of a comfort. She was only one woman in this world. Her sorrows shouldn’t matter much compared to the rest of the world.

  
Killian signaled with his hand for one of his men to watch Emma while he went to have a discussion with his bos'n. The sailors gave her a wide berth. Last time they saw her, she was a statue getting lowered into the ship’s hold. To see her walking around was unnerving.

Milah spotted her walking along the deck and turned her back to ignore her while fixing some rope. Emma was rather surprised that a woman was aboard. Even more so when the woman paid her no attention but in fact could sense hostility emanating from her. Emma could tell the other woman wasn’t happy that she was here.

  
She snorted to herself that she wasn’t happy to be there either. Emma looked out at the water and thought of what it would be like to jump in and let the water embrace her. What it would feel like to breathe in sea water and slowly sink to the bottom. She got a hold of herself. It wouldn’t do anyone any good to think those thoughts.

  
Killian was aware of her whereabouts on his ship. She had taken a few turns on deck until she crept slowly down into the brig where he heard her close the cage door behind her. He found her lying on the cot when he brought her some food. Her eyes were red and puffy. He was relieved when he came back to fetch her tray that she had taken a few bites of some of the food he left for her. It was better than nothing.

  
He wanted to give her something to look forward to and lift her spirits, “I’m taking you back to the Enchanted Forest.”

  
She turned her head to look at him, expressionless, “Thank you.”

  
“It’s where you are from, correct?”  
“Yes.”

  
“Would you be glad to be home?”

  
“Home is where the people you love are. I don’t have a home anymore. But I’m glad to be going there regardless.”

  
Hearing her say that made Killian sad, but he was satisfied that she said she was glad to be going back to the Enchanted Forest.

When Killian returned to his cabin, Milah was sitting at his desk pouring over papers.

  
“Looking for our next adventure, love?” Killian smiled, content to see that she was in a better mood.

  
“Once we dump the Golden Swanny girl, we could go get Bae and sail to Camelot. He would enjoy the jousts and knights.”

  
“That sounds like a good plan, love,” he felt irritated at what Milah called her.

  
“Things between us haven’t been as good as they were,” Milah plainly stated.

  
Killian knew there were ups and downs in every relationship. It didn’t mean they would just give up.

  
“Maybe a new adventure can change that and an addition to the crew,” Killian was looking forward to the idea that the boy would join with them. That is, if Bae would agree.  
Milah smiled and continued to organize her papers. Killian was content and was able to relax a bit now that she was in good spirits.

Now that the Captain decided to take her to the Enchanted Forest, Emma was forced to think about what she was going to do next. She would have to prepare herself for any changes that would have happened in the last thousand years, assuming it was a thousand years since she has set foot in the Enchanted Forest. Then she started wondering if she should have trusted the pirate. From what he told her, which wasn’t much, she didn’t detect any lie coming from him, but her lie detector was faulty when her emotions were out of control.

  
He wasn’t unkind to her. He seemed interested in conversing but she was too distraught. She would have to find out if he was telling her the truth once her feet was on land.  
The captain came down again to give her something to eat and left when she gave monosyllabic answers to his questions. She was able to take small bites that went down better. Her ale and water was warm but helped her to swallow the well-chewed bites. He came down again to take her tray and let her out. He once again led Emma to the upper deck to take a walk.

  
She did one lap around the ship when the dark haired woman asked of the captain, “Shouldn’t she be put to work?”

  
The Captain looked awkward. “Do you know anything about sailing a ship?”

  
Emma noticed some ripped sails, possibly damage from a storm, “I can fix the sails.”

  
“Good,” Killian ordered one of his men to get some tools so she can start repairing.

  
Emma sat on a barrel and started to repair the canvas. The crew went about their business. She liked keeping busy. Before she woke up on a pirate ship, she was always busy with some crisis or another. What she always needed was a long break from it all and now she has her break. Another lump formed in her throat at the thought. She tamped it down. It wouldn’t do any good to start crying when she had a lot of sail to mend.

  
Pushing the hand awl through the canvas seemed symbolic. She was always trying to fix things but ended up poking more holes in it. Eventually a gust of wind would come along and just rip it apart. It made her angry. Anger seemed better than sorrow. Soon she was stabbing the needle through the canvas and pulling the string through harshly, letting her anger out a little at a time.

  
Killian noticed Emma’s erratic movements but said nothing. Milah came up to wrap her arms around his waist and nuzzle his neck as he steered the ship. He saw Emma’s glance dart towards them. She turned her back and faced away from them. He couldn’t tell anything from Emma’s expression and felt mildly disappointed.

  
_So that’s the Captain’s love_ , Emma thought. _She’s possessive_ , Emma observed. Emma turned so that the light would shine on the sail and it would be easier to see where to sew without a shadow. Once she finished mending the sail, she would probably look for other things to do on the ship. This wasn’t her first voyage. She knew what needed to be done. She might as well work off her passage so she wouldn’t feel beholden to the captain.

  
Since her mind was on the captain she realized if he brought her aboard the ship as a gold statue that meant she was treasure. Probably stolen treasure. Treasure lost. That’s probably why the dark-haired woman had waves of animosity coming off her. It started to make sense now that she could think clearer and didn’t let grief completely consume her. What a disappointment it must have been. _Serves him right_ , she smirked.

  
But how did she transform from a statue back to herself? She thought she had an answer but it didn’t seem like the right one. The person that could transform her back was not alive anymore, or was he? The thought quickened her pulse but she didn’t want to get her hopes up. She would need to find out how she was transformed and she knew the captain had the answers she sought.

  
Killian felt Milah’s hot mouth on his neck which was the most affection she had shown him since Emma transformed back to her human form. He knew she was just doing it for show, claiming him as hers in front of Emma. Judging from Emma’s non-reaction, Emma didn’t seem to care and kept working on the sail. If Milah’s show of warmth meant she was putting what happened behind them, he’d find out soon enough if she was genuine when they were alone together. Milah pulled away and returned to fixing some rope.

  
After several hours, Emma fixed as much as she could while the sun was high in the sky and had to leave the rest for the next day. The shadows were getting longer and Emma felt it was time to go down to her little cage and stay there for the remainder. After she shut the door to her cell, another wave of grief consumed her. These bouts of overwhelming sadness came upon her many times throughout the day. Sometimes it came unexpectedly, sometimes she would be thinking on the events of her past and she would feel her anguish flow over her.

  
The Captain brought her meal to her and set it down on her stool with a flourish, “Culinary delights await, milady.”

  
She looked at the plate and saw biscuits smothered in gravy and fried fish. She looked at him without smiling.

  
“I was only joking,” Killian gave her a small smile. “Unfortunately the food on a ship is quite limited.”

  
“Thank you,” she said monotonously.

  
“You’re welcome,” Killian responded. The smile in his eyes died down, “I know what it’s like to lose someone you love.”

  
Out of the blue she point blank asked, “How did I turn to human form?”

  
He was startled at the unexpectedness of her question. He didn’t want to answer, afraid of how she would react.

  
“I don’t think I’m ready to tell you, lass.”

  
“Don’t stall, just tell me.”

  
He admired her bluntness. Killian waited a few heartbeats before he told her, “I kissed you.”

  
“You kissed a statue?” Emma deadpanned.

  
Hearing how it sounded made him feel like a fool. “Yes.”

  
“Do you make a habit out of kissing statues?”

  
“No, I don’t” he emphasized the “t” sound.

  
Emma laughed quietly. Killian thought she was laughing at him.

  
“You kissed a golden statue and I turned human,” Emma stated. “I guess any kiss will do.”

  
She said that thought aloud.

  
“Actually about two centuries ago, your statue was placed in a temple honoring you and men were lined up to kiss the lips of your statue. Then a war broke out and your statue went missing.”

  
“Your kiss, did it? I find that impossible.”

  
Killian looked down, unsure why her words caused a pang in his heart.

  
“Why would you say that, love?”

  
“You’re not my true love. My true love is dead and you’re not him.”

  
Her words cut him and he flinched.

  
“Well, maybe there’s not much stock in those myths about curses and such,” he backed out of the cage feeling dejected. _He shouldn’t have told her_.

  
Emma looked away after seeing how his eyes grew sad. He shut the door and climbed back up the ladder.


	3. Chapter 3

Flashes of memories of the night he kissed her statue flew across his mind. He remembered how she looked, so vulnerable and grief-stricken. He had the urge to comfort and soothe her. It would have been strange to do so because they hardly knew each other so he held back.

Ever since then, he was constantly drawn to her, always wondered how she was, if she was going to be alright. He hadn't even felt that drawn to Milah when he first met her. Milah was a beautiful lass that had a lifeless existence and she begged him to save her from it. He thought he would do her a favor and take her to some other port so she could start a new life somewhere else where she wasn't so miserable. If he didn't do it then some other pirate captain would but may not treat her as kindly. The tender regard grew slowly as they spent more time together. She eventually became his constant. He needed someone who could depend on him and he could count on her, to be in his life, to love him. That's all he ever wanted.

The more he tried to put Emma out of his mind, the more she forced her way in. Maybe spending time with Milah would make him forget. He walked into the cabin to find Milah sitting on the bed reading a book. He walked up to her, grabbed her by the arms and gave her deep kiss.

She was startled. He always managed to startle her. Her lips relaxed and took him in. Her body softened into his like it had done over a thousand times. She could never refuse this man anything. But there was one small problem.

"Killian?"

"Mmmm, yes Milah, love." He moved his lips to her neck.

"Did you forget that it's my monthly?"

He felt like he was doused with cold water. He pulled back and sighed.

"I didn't realize it was that time again. Sorry, love," he gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.

"I'm sorry, too," Milah was all kinds of hot and bothered, but she never liked getting intimate with all those fluids coming out of her. She was getting cramps too.

"What are you reading?"

"It's a book I found on Arendelle. It's a merchant city with lots of trade. We could explore that kingdom."

"Aye, with you wearing nothing but a fur coat is something I'd like to explore," his eyes glinted with mischief and desire.

Milah's eyes twinkled. "That sounds promising."

Her eyes grew thoughtful.

"You haven't been this flirty in a while," making an observation.

Putting on a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"You haven't been receptive in a while."

Milah's eyes flashed. In a heartbeat, he'd managed to piss her off so he turned and walked out of the cabin. He went directly to the ship's wheel to steer his ship. The light, cool breeze calmed him as he stared out into the blue expanse.

He had been at the wheel for a couple of hours when he ordered his first mate to take over for the night. On his way to his quarters he heard sounds coming from the brig. It was Emma and he could tell she was having a nightmare.

Emma dreamed she was running down a great hall, her sword was out ready to attack what stood in her way. Then she saw it. Her love getting stabbed from behind and she screamed with fury and panic. His eyes stayed locked onto hers as he felt the blade go in and only once did he close his eyes at the extreme pain he felt. As he fell down, his eyes found hers again and stayed there until his soul departed his body.

As Emma stared in shock, his face changed. It was no longer the face of her love, her soulmate. It was now the Captain's whose blue eyes opened and raised himself to stand in front of her with his hand raised, beckoning her. With a jolt, she woke up suddenly. She sat up. Her chest was heaving. Her feelings were raw. Her body still shaking from the after effects of the panic she felt in her dream. No, more like a nightmare.

"Emma, are you okay?" She looked up to see Captain Jones coming down the ladder. He must have heard her crying out and came to.

"I've had better days," Emma grunted. She was still breathing hard from all the emotions she experienced in her nightmare. Her feelings were even more heightened since the Captain was there. She watched as the Captain moistened a small towel in a bowl of cold water in the side board and held it against her head. The cool towel had a calming effect. She had broken out in a cold sweat and this made her feel better, like she was being taken care of.

"Thank you, Captain," Emma peeked up at him from the towel covering her forehead.

"Would it comfort you to discuss the dream?" he asked. He greatly desired to know what her dream was about. He had to tamp down the curiosity she stirred in him lest it would have him on his knees begging to ask.

She shook her head. She would be too embarrassed to explain how her love's face turned into Killian's. Her subconscious was probably affected by hearing how Killian kissed her and brought her back. It still confused her.

"When we will get to the Enchanted Forest?" Emma looked down, changing the subject.

Her mentioning the Enchanted Forest made his heart sink for a moment.

"Should be a month if we don't encounter any bad weather," Killian answered.

"Good," Emma was back to her monosyllabic responses.

"What are you planning to do when you get there?" He was worried about how she would live in the world now. She shouldn't be alone.

"I'm sure I'll figure something out," she wasn't sure herself.

Killian almost offered her a spot on his ship but he knew Milah would have a fit. She wanted Emma off the ship.

"I'll give you some money to get started," Killian offered.

Emma remarked, "I seem to be costing you a lot of money, Captain. First, robbing you of a fortune in gold, now some money to send me on my way."

Emma saw the humor in this circumstance.

"Well, I feel responsible," Killian did feel responsible for her. He brought her back to this miserable world where she had no one. He didn't even consider the cost on his pocket.

Emma thought about that one sentence. She realized he felt sorry for her. It didn't sit right with her. She was always too proud.

"You don't need to be," Emma let out.

"Unless you want to stay on the ship?" Killian thought it seemed like a joke, but a part of him wanted her to stay.

"I'm more of a landlubber."

Killian got the message. She ended the idea that she stay with him. It was probably for the best since it would rain down such turmoil on his head in the form of Milah's rage. He still couldn't help but feel disappointed. He bid her good night and hoped she had more pleasant dreams.

Emma felt alone once again when the Captain left the brig. Her thoughts turned to what she was going to do, but she needed more information on the past events of the Enchanted Forest. She figured the Captain had some documents she could read and she made a mental note to ask him for any reading material the next time she spoke to him.

She asked him the very next day when he happened to walk by and she was busy repairing the sail she was determined to finish. She was happy when she heard him acquiesce to her request.

He brought her a few books and a bunch of papers with her evening meal. She was able to read them all by candlelight but there was no information about her. The Golden Swan. She needed to know more.

She asked him again the next morning if he had any more literature on her or the Enchanted Forest. He said he would ask Milah if there was any more documents he could share. When he said she received all the information they had, her mind started working overtime. He wasn't lying, that she definitely knew. But she definitely knew there had to be more information about her and she needed to devise a plan to get what she needed.

Emma knew instinctively to stay away from Milah while she was on deck. The other woman was only tolerating her presence since Emma was only there for a short time. Emma could have sworn there was a look of scorn on her face when she passed but her expression changed when she looked directly at her. Emma ignored it because whatever was between the Captain and Milah was none of her business.

When Emma retired to the brig for a while, she listened for the footsteps at the opening. After a while, she knew everyone's position on the ship. She snuck upstairs without being seen. Quickly she made her way to the entrance to the Captain's quarters and climbed down the ladder. No one made a cry of alarm so she figured the coast was clear.

After a few minutes of digging, Emma found papers in a chest in the closet. It contained descriptive accounts of how she was found, where she had been, and other stories associated with her. She was quite the legend for the first seven hundred years then faded to almost obscurity. She then found a history book on the Enchanted Forest which told of what happened the last five hundred years including some other papers she had yet to read. She slipped the book into the back of her pants to read it at leisure.

Milah walked into the cabin and found Emma casually reading the research she compiled on her.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Milah demanded. Her eyes narrowed on the papers Emma was holding.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Emma coolly said without looking up, still reading.

"Trespassing."

"I only need to finish reading these," Emma pointed to the papers. Most of Emma's earlier story as a gold statue was here though the details were a bit fuzzy. It was as if someone tried to recall from memory what they read from another work. How she came to switch hands, ownership and where she traveled was listed rather vaguely.

"You could walk the plank for this," Milah said with rancor.

"The captain must have told you I wanted to learn my history," Emma threw it out there still not looking up. All she needed to do was finish a few more sentences and she was done. "It's all here. Yet you didn't give it to him. Why?"

"I didn't really feel like giving it to you."

"Interesting. You're also not raising the alarm," Emma pointed out still not looking up. She had a feeling if Killian came in here, he would be asking Milah the same questions.

Milah didn't say anything.

"If you hadn't been so disobliging, I wouldn't be here," Emma made her statement clear. She finished reading the last sentence and looked up at Milah. Milah was still staring at her with an irate, impatient look.

Emma waited for a response but she knew there wasn't any forthcoming. She sighed and straightened the papers on the desk to place them back in the chest. She put the chest back in the closet. She already had all the information that she needed.

"Thanks for being thorough with the research," Emma said as she passed Milah and climbed the ladder.

Emma was able to reach the brig without getting spotted. All the pirates seemed to be fishing and watching the birds. The captain was busy looking at maps and conversing with his first mate to notice where she came from.

Emma knew Milah would look petty for not willingly handover any research. Emma now grasped that the animosity was real and not imagined, yet Milah didn't want to let the captain know she caught Emma in their cabin. Their relationship was rather strange, she thought. She wondered if Milah knew about the kiss. That could explain her attitude towards her.

Emma's mind wandered over to the captain. She tried not to think or make anything of the unguarded looks he gave her. There was such a myriad of emotions in his expression – hunger, longing, sadness and dare she think it, desire. She knew he desired her. It did no good to think of it but her mind kept coming back to it sending a secret thrill through her. Then her thoughts turned to her love, remembering how he made her feel the same way and she sank back into despondency. She lay on her bed until she felt better.

She took out the book and proceeded to read for a while until she went upstairs to finish more tasks that she volunteered to do. It provided enough evidence to prove that the pirate captain wasn't lying, that she was a statue for a thousand years and apparently had traveled a lot, spent time in some very extravagant domiciles with many interesting characters while she incapacitated. She was able to finish the book that night and felt she had a better grasp at the changes the Enchanted Forest went through. She felt more relieved that she would be able to navigate what was once her old kingdom.


	4. Chapter 4

The Jolly Rodger was approaching their destination. Killian shouted the orders to his crew while he steered the ship. The ship was docked and it was time to say good bye to Emma. He looked around his ship and marveled at how much she was able to accomplish on board. She fixed a loose plank, oiled and polished all the metal, replaced a few balusters and part of a rail, sewed all the ripped sails, and an assortment of other tasks that his crew disliked doing. He could tell she was used to being industrious with her time. It made him want to know her more but he knew he needed to let her go.

  
Even though he had plenty of time to resolve her departure in his mind, he couldn’t help but feel it would be the wrong thing to do. He argued with himself that she needed to go, she wanted to go. He couldn’t stop her.

  
He made his way down to the brig where Emma was cleaning her space.

  
Emma wanted to leave it as if she had never been there so she had been returning items to the captain for several days prior. She had been cleaning it thoroughly since she had woken up that morning.

  
“The ship has docked. So I guess this is it then,” Killian looked at her with longing. If his eyes could communicate, it would plead with her to stay. This may be the last time he would look upon her again.

  
“Yeah, I guess so,” Emma didn’t know what else to say. She knew a man as handsome as he was hard to come by. This would be the last time she would ever see him and she knew that once she walked away she would come to miss his presence in her life. She remembered all those times that he comforted her by just being in the same room or when she was walking on deck and he was keeping an eye on her. She somehow felt safe.

  
Killian shoved a pouch full of coins into her hand. “Here is the money I told you I’d give you. It should you last you quite some time until you can find a place to live and some employment.”

  
“You didn’t need to,” Emma said in a quiet voice, quite grateful for the funds.

  
“But you need it,” Killian said. “Let me know when you’re ready to go.”

  
“I’m ready now.”

  
Killian swallowed deeply and gestured for her to climb the ladder first. She made her way to the gangplank, nodding goodbye to some of the crew that didn’t ignore her during the entire voyage. Milah was nowhere in sight which was probably a good thing.

  
Emma turned to him and said, “Thank you, Captain Jones for returning me to the Enchanted Forest.”

  
“You’re very welcome, Miss Swan,” Killian tried to smile but it turned crooked. “I hope you fare well.”

  
“You, too. Good bye,” Emma said as she parted ways with him. As she walked down towards the dock, she could have sworn she heard him whisper _Good bye, my golden swan._

  
She didn’t turn back and just kept walking.

She focused her attention on the sights and sounds of the town. A lot of things had changed but the layout of the town was the same. She made her way down winding streets getting acquainted with the locations of certain shops and forming a map in her head. She finally found what she was looking for and was surprised that the building was still a book store. She ducked down a back alleyway where she found the door to the back of the bookstore.

  
When she opened the backdoor, she saw into the small back room. She closed it again and made sure to look around to see if anyone was watching her. When she was sufficiently certain no one was, she waved her hand and said some words. She opened the door again and as if by magic a set of steps appeared. She quickly ducked into it, closed the door and walked down the steps.

  
She had been down these very same steps many times. It was a secret, magic place that few people knew about. There were many usages for this place. It was a hideout, a storage area for some powerful objects and books, a training area to practice magic, a first aid station and sometimes served as a prison or interrogation room for magical troublemakers and other bad guys.

  
Noting the steps going down the stairs were clean and the room she entered was in good condition, Emma realized that a person or people had been using this room. She was going to be greeting some company sooner or later.

  
Regardless, she perused the many items displayed on the shelf. All the bottles were labeled properly – eye of rat, truth serum, sleeping potion, squid ink. She stopped at the squid ink – always a good thing to have. She found an empty tube, poured some squid ink into it, corked it and put it in her pouch. She examined the books on the shelves and noticed some new additions next some old books that she had been well-acquainted with in her time there. Emma went to the card catalog to look up the Dark One. She read the many names on each card and then came to a familiar name Zoso. After Zoso, Emma read another name – Rumpelstiltskin.

  
A new Dark One?

  
She quickly writes down the reference number and proceeds to retrieve the books. She lays several books on the table and scans through them. She learns that Rumpelstiltskin was once a renowned spinner. He had been drafted as a soldier during the ogre wars then was mysteriously wounded before the first battle. He had been branded as the town coward before he was turned into the Dark One. He lives in a big castle in the middle of Sherwood Forest. He had a son but had never been spotted since Rumpelstiltskin acquired the big castle.

  
The information didn’t show how he became the Dark One. All she knew was that the Dark One she was acquainted with was dead. That was usually how the new Dark One attained his powers by killing the old one.

  
She continued to read the information on Zoso from the books. When Emma read that the Duke of the Frontlands somehow managed to acquire the dagger to control Zoso, she smirked. _Serves him right_ , she thought.

  
Emma heard a sound coming from above and footsteps walking down the stairs. This should be fun, she thought. She observed a man coming into the room with some supplies that was whistling a tune and didn’t seem to notice her yet.

  
She cleared her throat and the man jumped. He looked at her disbelieving.

  
“Who are you?” the man asked in a dangerous tone.

  
“My name is Emma Swan,” Emma might as well introduce herself and get it over with.

  
“Yeah, and I’m the Queen of Sheba,” the man sneered.

  
“Well then, you must have gotten shorter, grew a lot of body hair, gained a bit more around the middle and had a sex change,” Emma answered with her own snark.

  
“Emma Swan is a statue,” the man remarked.

  
“I was once a statue and was lounging around in a giant’s castle until some pirates stole me and broke the curse,” Emma lay the facts out. If he didn’t believe her and attacked, she was ready for him.

  
“Broke the curse, you say?” the man was still doubtful. “You’d have to be kissed by your true love but he’s dead.”

Emma looked stricken for a moment when she heard the word “dead.”

  
“Well, somehow there must have been a loophole that was overlooked,” Emma continued watching the man carefully for any signs of sudden movement. And then there it was. The slight drop in the shoulder.

  
He made his move to grab a dagger from his belt and Emma was ready to blast him back with her magic. She floated his dagger towards her to place it in the palm of her hand. In no time during her stay on the Jolly Rodger did she need to use her magic. She was never attacked or in danger in anyway, unless she counted the deadly sensuous looks the captain gave her when he thought she wasn’t looking. She tried to ignore it as best she could at the time but she recalled them now.

  
She actually wondered if she still had the power of magic, but now she knew beyond a doubt now that she did.

  
He sat there on the floor waiting for inevitable death to come.

  
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Emma was getting impatient. “Are you what passes for a knight these days?”

  
“How did you get in here?” he asked.

  
Emma rolled her eyes.

  
“The same way I always did,” Emma answered. “I’ve been going here all my life. I know about the books, the training center, the vault, I even know about the monster downstairs.”

  
“Fine, prove it,” the man challenged.

  
“Well, you don’t want me to unlock the cage or else we’d all be ripped into a million pieces.

  
The man straightened. There were many secrets locked in this place. Some you never dared venture to for it would mean your life. The “monster” was a code name for something else. Everyone who had been down here learned to never set the “monster” free.

  
“Do you need further proof?” Emma challenged him.

  
“Not right now. For now, considering I’m not dead yet, I take it to mean you’re not dangerous, for now,” the man said warily. “Can I have my dagger back?”

  
Emma’s answer came back with an unequivocal, “No.”

  
Emma sheathed his dagger in her belt.

  
“Fair enough.”

  
She held out a hand to help him up and he took it with his eyes still locked on her.

  
“My name is Rufus, by the way. Rufus Steadwater.”

  
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Steadwater.”

  
“You can call me Rufus. Anyway, what are you doing down here?”

  
“I want to find out what happened to me and why I was woken up,” Emma saw him as an aide to answer all her questions.

  
“Does there need to be a reason as to why you were woken up?” Rufus asked.

  
“Isn’t there always a reason?” Emma answered back.

  
“I suppose so.”

  
“Then get me all your books, even the secret ones in the shelf behind the pantry.”

  
Rufus humpfed. He started to accept that she may be telling the truth.

  
“I’ll get what I can,” he went to retrieve some books and she started reading the ones she already took down while keeping an eye on him.

  
It was going to be a long night going through all this information. She had nothing but time on her hands now.

* * *

 

Milah and Killian arrived at the small house at the edge of town where she had once lived. Milah was apprehensive at first. It occurred to her that Bae, her son, might be angry at her for running off. She gathered her courage to face whatever she might find, good or bad, and raised her hand to wrap her fist on the door.

  
She waited and no one had answered. She wrapped on the door again and waited but there was no one.

  
“Maybe Bae found employment or maybe they brought their wares to market?” she offered.

  
Killian looked around and noticed the other small houses seemed to look vacant.

  
“Or he found another place to live,” Killian still looked around wondering where everyone was. This area seemed to be empty. “Let’s ask in town.”

  
They asked around but everyone became fearful when they mentioned the name Rumpelstiltskin. People they inquired said they knew nothing of that family and quickly hurried away from them. Milah grew tired walking around so she said she wanted to go back to the ship.

  
“I think I’ll go join the men for some drinks,” Killian mentioned. Recently they had not spent any time together as a couple when they were on shore leave. Early in their relationship, they would never have thought to spend time without each other, but now things were different. Killian just thought their relationship had matured with time. They had their own interests and were independently pursuing them. It seemed like the natural course of things.

  
“Okay, I’ll go back and rest,” Milah was secretly glad that she had some time in their cabin to herself.

  
“I’ll escort you back,” Killian offered.

  
“No need. It’s just a few blocks. I can manage. Have fun tonight.” Milah waved him away and started walking towards the docks.

  
Killian watched her to make sure she got to the docks safely then turned around to head to the tavern. The entire day he looked around for a woman with long golden hair. Each time he felt so thwarted that it wasn’t her. He decided to take the long route to the tavern to pass by some inns that a certain golden-haired lass might choose to stay. When he didn’t spot her, he was disheartened and continued on to the pub to throw down a few drinks.

  
He looked around the room of the tavern and spotted a woman with the blonde hair. His heart started to speed up. When he went up to the woman, she turned her head and he could see her profile. He was disappointed that it wasn’t the woman he wanted to see. He spotted his men at the table and he put on a big smile and asked, “Where’s my beer?”

He said cheers as he threw back his ale and whiled away the time by playing dice with his men.

  
It was late when they all stumbled out on the street. A few of his men were lucky enough to find some willing bed partners for the evening. They made some raunchy jokes as the men escorted the women upstairs. They slowly made their way down to the docks.

  
Killian stopped when a few of his crew decided to pee against the building and a beggar wearing a cloak with a hood very rudely bumped into him.

  
“You! Stop! Even gutter rats have better manners than you just displayed,” Killian couldn’t let the insolence of this man go unchecked in front of his crew.

  
“Oh, I’m very sorry, sir,” the beggar stumbled on his apology as he turned around.

  
Killian noticed the man had very sickly green skin under his hood and he was drunk enough to comment on it.

  
“I was wrong. Not a rat at all…more..more like a crocodile!” Killian looked back at his crew to laugh at his jest. He then stepped forward and knocked the cup of coins from his hand in return for his rudeness.

  
The beggar quickly bent down to retrieve his coins when Killian asked, “What’s your name, crocodile?” while lifting a foot to push the beggar down to the ground.

  
The beggar with a childish giggle threw off his hood and with a hideous smile showed himself to Killian and his crew.

  
Killian realized it was the man they were looking for. Bae’s father.

  
He pointed at him and said, “You. I remember you.”

  
What in blazes happened to his skin, Killian wondered. Did he have one too many tonight or did the man’s skin turn a greenish-gold hue?

  
“Always nice to make an impression,” the crocodile said tossing a coin at him. “Where are my manners, we haven’t been properly introduced.”

  
Killian recognized his words being thrown back at him the day he took Milah away.

  
“Rumpeltstiltskin,” the crocodile said with a bow. “Or as others know me..the Dark One.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I included the scene from the show when Killian met the Rumpelstiltskin, Dark One. I always wondered why Killian was with his crew drinking and not with Milah. In my head canon, they might have been having relationship problems.


	5. Chapter 5

A ripple of horror went through his crew.

Rumpelstiltskin loved it when people feared him, "Oooh! I see my reputation proceeds me."

"It does," Killian knew he had only moments left to live.

"Good! That's going to save us time on the question and answer portion of our game," Rumpelstiltskin thought he was quite witty.

"What is it you want to know?" Killian demanded.

"How's Milah, of course," the crocodile said sidling up to him.

"Who?" Killian feigned ignorance. He needed to make sure Milah was safe.

Rumpelstiltskin giggled, "Only too happy to dig out the memory, but it gets really messy."

Killian looked down and acted forlorn, "She's dead…died a long time ago. What is it that you want?"

He was surprised at the look of upset on the Dark One's face. Since it was Rumpelstiltskin who was married to Milah that was probably the one who made the face of dismay.

"We didn't get a chance to finish our duel," Rumpelstiltskin said.

Killian grabbed for his sword until he heard him say, "Not now! Tomorrow at dawn. I am not a cruel man get your affairs in order. You can spend tonight knowing, it'll be your last."

Observing the anger in Killian's face, he giggled, "Maybe I am cruel. And don't think about trying to escape because I will find your entire crew and gut them like a fish."

When the Dark One disappeared, Killian rounded on his crew and he whispered furiously, "Don't you dare tell any of this to her! Once I leave at dawn, you set sail and never return. Got that?"

They all started arguing with him on trying to escape.

In a tone that brooked no refusal, he said, "That was the bloody Dark One! He will use any means to find our ship and he will do as he promised. At least if I face him, you all have a chance at surviving."

There were more objections but he effectively silenced them with a deadly stare. Killian and his crew made their way back to the Jolly Rodger. A few crewmen decided to help their Captain and went into town. Graves, MacLeod and Chester recalled seeing the same man, the Dark One, talking to a man with a red hat. They were all determined to find that man with the red hat for their Captain. They figured that man might know something or have some leverage over the Dark One.

Killian entered his cabin to find Milah sleeping. He didn't want to wake her but just pulled a chair near the bed and looked at her. She was beautiful, he thought as he stroked her dark tendrils away from her face. She was a helluva pirate, too. She challenged him to be a better pirate, a better thief. He thought about the good times they had on the ship, how they loved, how they fought. He remembered when he first met her. He thought he would indulge in her company then leave her at the next port with a few coins making them both happy for a time. But she grew on him. She didn't want to leave at the next port but wanted to join his crew. He gave her a chance and slowly she made his way into his heart. He started to accept her as part of his life. They went after treasures together and had grand adventures. He allowed himself to be happy for the first time since he lost his brother. Even though things were strained between them at present, there was always a chance that it would come back round.

He wanted a drink of rum but decided against it. He needed all his faculties in check when he faced the Dark One. There was no way he was going to get a wink of sleep tonight. All he could do was sit in the dark in the middle of their cabin and think.

A woman with golden hair once again came unbidden into his mind. He would have given his left hand to see her one last time. He pictured her hauntingly beautiful face in his mind along with her melancholy green eyes. He had wrestled in his mind the reason why she awoke to his kiss. It didn't make sense at the time but now it made perfect sense. He existed because, for whatever reason and he couldn't fathom what, he was the one that was supposed to wake her up with a kiss. Once that was accomplished, he was no longer useful so he needed to die.

He supposed he should consider it a rather distinguished honor. For some reason, she was brought to life again for a purpose. What that purpose was he had no idea and he'd probably die before he found out. He shook such morose thoughts of destiny from his head. It would do no good to dwell and think of himself as a hero. He was no hero.

He knew the real reason was because he took a married woman, a mother, away from her family and now he needed to pay the consequences. A few more hours passed along with other self-pitying thoughts coursing through his mind as he watched the sun peek out over the horizon.

Killian bent down to give Milah a kiss on the forehead and stroked her cheek. He left their room, checked for his sword at his side and bid farewell to his men.

They all murmured thanks and started chanting at the same time in low voices so as not to awake the whole harbor, "Long live Captain Jones, long live Captain Jones, long live Captain Jones."

He heard their chanting as he walked across the gangplank to his inevitable doom.

* * *

 

Emma had read and read until her eyes started to cross. She told herself to put her head down for a few minutes to get some rest but a few minutes turned into a few hours. When she awoke, she touched her mouth to feel the drool dribbling out the sides. She needed some air. Checking the time on the grandfather clock, she knew it was almost dawn and she decided to go up for a walk. Rufus had gone home a while ago, so she felt comfortable leaving hoping she wouldn't come back to find the magical locks changed somehow. She was always good at getting around them anyway.

As she walked along the street, she spied Captain Jones's men hauling away a man with a red cap out of the tavern. The red cap man was bound and gagged as he was forcibly taken to the ship. She knew they were up to no good so she went after them and followed them to the docks. She watched behind some boxes as they spoke to Milah who looked like she just got up. Milah surprisingly pointed a sword at the men to get them to speak and they were relaying her a story. She grabbed the man's cap and ran off the ship.

Emma followed Milah wondering if the Captain was in trouble. Her heartbeat quickened for some reason and she felt worried. When Milah found him, the Dark One had a hand in his chest.

Emma knew the Dark One anywhere. She could feel the dark magic making ripples in the air. Emma tried to move closer to hear what they were saying. She couldn't make out most of what was said but Emma definitely heard, "So, you're here to save the life of your true love, the pirate. I didn't realize the power of true love. It is impressive."

She heard him say Killian was Milah's true love but it sounded like a lie from his lips. Why would he lie? Why would he taunt her with that information? They might actually be true loves, Emma pondered. She felt an inexplicably strange ache in her chest, but she shrugged it off.

Apparently Milah knew the Dark One and tried to make a deal with him. Emma had a hard time understanding what she was saying since she was some distance away. Deals always worked in the Dark One's favor. The Dark One let them go and followed them to the Jolly.

Milah brought Killian back to the Jolly Rodger and she ordered the crew to bring up the prisoner. The Dark One boarded the ship. Milah showed him the magic bean and tossed it to Killian.

"You asked to see it and now you have," Killian stated.

"Do we have a deal? Can we go our separate ways?" Milah asked hopeful he would just take the magic bean and leave them alone. At this point, she would be willing to leave Bae and sail off.

"Do you mean do I forgive you? Can I move on? Perhaps…perhaps. I can see you are truly in love."

Milah thanked him.

"Just one question."

"What do you want to know?"

"How could you leave Bae?" the anger in his voice was rising and ropes were breaking all around them. "Do you know what it's like walking home that night knowing I had to tell our son his mother was dead?

"I was wrong to lie to you. I was the coward!"

"You left him! You abandoned him!"

"And there's not a day that goes by that I don't feel sorry for that!"

Emma picked up the sincerity in her voice.

"Sorry isn't enough!

"I let my misery cloud my judgement."

"Why were you so miserable?" the Dark One stepped closer to her. Emma knew this wasn't going well. She had a feeling he was going to make a move.

"Because I never loved you!"

She practically knew what his next move was because she had her dagger out. As soon the Dark One's hand plunged into Milah's chest, she threw the dagger at his back.

Rumpelstiltskin reacted automatically, releasing Milah's heart so his hand could catch the dagger in midflight before it could sink into him. He looked at the blonde woman who threw the dagger at him.

"Foolish girl. I can't be killed by a dagger," Rumpelstiltskin sneered and started to raise the dagger to strike back at her but he froze.

"I know but you can be stopped by squid ink," Emma smirked at him.  She had already dipped the dagger in squid ink when she heard the conversation going down hill. Then Emma directed a look at the captain. "The magic bean, please."

Killian hesitated.

"For as long as you have the bean, he'll always be on your tail," Emma tried to reason with him.

"He'll be after you, too," Killian was scared she would try some heroics. It wasn't worth her life. Not after she just got it back.

"I can handle someone like him," Emma stated with confidence.

Killian still hesitated.

"Bloody hell, Killian! Just give her the bean and let's sail out of here," Milah yelled.

Emma cocked an eyebrow at Milah. Yelling at the captain could put him in a precarious position with his men and she didn't even thank her for saving her life.

"No," Killian said resolutely. Emma couldn't miss the glare he aimed at Milah.

Killian was angry. Milah knew better than to yell at him in front of his crew. If he let it pass then his crew would see him as weak. Keeping the bean did put them all in danger and he certainly wasn't going to pass the bean onto Emma. He would rather end his own life than put her in harm's way. He needed to get rid of the bean somehow. If he threw it in the ocean it might make a portal and the ship and everyone in it would get sucked down.

Emma decided to take matters out of Killian's hands, literally. She used her magic to open his hand with her mind.

Killian was startled. Why was his hand moving? On its own?

She chuckled when she found his hand was empty. She then had to open his other hand with her mind and the magic bean was there. That was a quick slight of hand, she thought. She floated the magic bean towards her.

All the men gasped when the saw that Emma had magic. She caught the bean and pocketed it in her pouch.

"Apologies for being so high-handed but squid ink only lasts so long," and with that she teleported her and Rumpelstiltskin away from the ship.

Killian rushed over and stared at the spot Emma was standing.


	6. Chapter 6

"Killian! We need to leave now! Before the Dark One returns! Killian!" he felt Milah shaking his arm trying to get his attention and eventually he did snap out of his trance. He was stunned that Emma disappeared with the Dark One in tow. Did she not know the danger he presented? Fear of not knowing what was happening between her and the Dark One struck his heart.

"What about your son?" Killian turned to her. "What about Bae?"

Milah shook her head. "We can't find him now. We need to leave before he finishes the job and kills us!"

Milah was still clutching her chest with one hand where the Dark One had his hand.

Killian put his hand overs hers.

"He almost tried to.." he swallowed his answer. He didn't even want to think of what could have happened. "Are you hurt?"

"I'll be fine."

He watched her cringe as she still felt the dull ache through her chest just as he did. Almost having your heart ripped out hurt like hell. When the Dark One's hand had been in his chest, it was like shards of ice were piercing his heart. He shivered at the memory of it and the memory of watching Rumpelstiltskin's hand enter Milah's chest.

Rumpelstiltskin would have killed her. He knew that deep in his gut and his stomach had been roiling since he watched helplessly as the Dark One invaded Milah's body.

The feeling of helplessness was a familiar one when as a young boy his father sold him and his brother into servitude in exchange for a row boat to get away from the authorities who were after him. They were enslaved to a cantankerous sea Captain that had a belligerent, short temper who would punish them for the slightest infraction. Once Killian had accidently broken the bottle of the Captain's wine and he was about to be punished. He was supposed to get ten lashes with the cat o' nines but Liam stepped in knowing his younger brother was too small to take the whipping and confessed to the crime. Killian fought and screamed against a sailor that was holding him back by the arms as his brother was bound to the mast, his shirt torn at the back and he had to count the strokes. As each lash flayed the skin off Liam's back, Killian felt each excruciating wound Liam took deep in his gut and his mind. He cursed the day his fugitive father sold them to this hellish existence. It was this same anger that stroked the fire in his mind, the rage in his heart wanted to shatter its bonds and unleash the beast, to kill the Dark One for daring to make him feel helpless while another person he cared for suffered in front of him.

But Emma…

She was with the true Beast. He was torn with wanting to go after Emma but he didn't know where she went and had no way of tracking her. The only reason he could think of to stay in town was to go after Bae.

"You can't leave your son with that demon, Milah!" Killian reasoned.

"We asked so many people in town and they didn't know where he was. For all we know he could be…" Milah didn't want to say the word "dead." Would Rumpelstiltskin kill his own son? The Dark One just might.

"Fine. We'll set sail." Killian decided. He wasn't suicidal that he would keep his ship at dock. He needed to go before the Dark One found his way back and kill him, Milah and his crew.

"Make ready to cast off!"

"Aye, Cap'n!" his crew waited for hopefully was their cue to exit this place. They all scrambled to their stations to start casting off. Killian was at the helm steering the boat from the dock while Milah was doing her part while having a perplexed, sullen look on her face.

Killian decided to sail close to land until he found what he was looking for. A big cove that was enough to conceal them from ships that happen to sail by but wide enough they could escape if another ship tried to enter the cove and attack them. Once he dropped anchor, he started walking towards his cabin and signaled for Milah to follow him.

Once he arrived there, he waited for her to walk in the cabin they shared. As soon as she walked through the door, she threw her arms around him.

He put his arms around her relieved to feel her warm body against him.

"I was so scared," Milah said with a shaky breath. "I thought we were done for."

Killian grinned. "Aye, it would be a shame to put an end to a devilishly, handsome rogue like me."

She laughed and playfully swatted his chest.

"Aye, it would be," Milah agreed. "What do we do now?"

Killian paused to think for a moment. Emma saved their lives and was currently putting her own life in peril. He was desperate to know what was going on between Swan and Rumpelstiltskin. The sinking feeling in his stomach was still there despite the distance he put between the dock and his ship.

"The Dark One would expect us to be far from here," Killian mulled a plan over in his head. "We can go ashore and find Bae. He would never expect us to do that."

Milah's eyes grew wide as she looked at her lover.

"Are you insane? He's the Dark One! We barely escaped this time, we won't be so lucky next time!" Milah was shocked that he would propose this.

"Give it one day and if we don't find him, we'll leave," Killian argued trying to use reason.

Milah couldn't believe what he was saying. She stepped away from him to try to clear her head and get a better view of him to judge what his real motivation was. She thought she knew this man.

"Are you proposing this because you want to secure Bae's safety?" Milah asked.

"Of course," Killian answered looking at her expectantly.

"Or do you want make sure your Golden Swan is safe?" Milah screwed her eyes at him.

Killian looked at her sternly and said, "She has magic, she can take care of herself."

Milah looked at him with a bit of uncertainty and suspect.

Killian went on to convince her, "I know you'll always regret leaving without knowing what happened to Bae. Maybe not now, but eventually you'll always wonder what became of your boy."

Milah knew he was right. It would eat her alive if she just fled and she didn't at least try. She would have hated herself for being as much of a coward as her estranged, newly Darked husband.

"You're right. Of course, you're right. We'll go back to find Bae," Milah said with some misgivings.

Meanwhile…

* * *

 

Emma circled the new Dark One to take his measure while he was throwing daggers at her with his beady, reptilian eyes. She had transported them in the middle of the woods, far away from the docks. It would give Captain Jones and his crew time to set sail and escape.

"That was quite an ex-lover's spat. So did the pirate steal away your girlfriend and now you're mad?" Emma taunted him.

"Actually, she's my wife," Rumpelstiltskin snickered back. His anger was barely visible, just under the surface, but it was there.

Emma raised her eyebrows. That pirate captain got himself into a whole heap of trouble there. Stealing away another man's wife and the man happened to be the Dark One to boot, boy, he was tempting the fates.

"And she left her son, Bae, your son," Emma said putting the pieces together. She had a thought. "So where is Bae, your son?"

With that, Rumpelstiltskin growled, "That's not of your concern."

So she guessed right. She looked down at the magic bean in her hand wondering why he needed it. Why would he go to another land when he had all the power at his disposal here, unless he lost something.

"Is that why you need this?" she opened her hand and showed him the bean.

"You kept me from my revenge. You're going to pay for that," Rumpelstiltskin said with his rage barely contained, ready to bubble to the surface.

Emma's eyes flashed. She had been calm up until now, despite being in the Dark One's presence.

She slowly walked up to him until they were eye to eye.

"And you think you have nothing to pay for, Dark One?" Emma said in a deadly whisper. "You think you're the only one that wants revenge? You're the one that's going to pay."

Rumpelstiltskin started to look at her with new eyes.

"You were the victim of a past Dark One, I see," Rumpelstiltskin grinned slightly. He needed to find out who she was and how she had magic. She was a worthy opponent, his first test as a Dark One.

"One day I'm going to find a way to end you forever," Emma said with her fury barely controlled.

"Only if you can live long enough," he taunted her.

"First, you'll never get your hands on this bean," Emma showed him and put it in her satchel. "Now I'm going to take you some place you won't like."

Emma whisked them both away to a place that she knew from her past. She just needed to make sure it was still there before she entered. She saw the towering bushes as tall as trees in front of her and she knew that it was the perfect place to leave him. It was a labyrinth that was constructed way before Emma was born. Emma had a feeling it would still be there as enchanted as it was. Once you entered the labyrinth your magic leaves you and you need to make it out by your own wits. It was where a Minotaur was trapped and if you crossed its path you would be lucky to come out of it alive.

Emma transported them somewhere in the middle of the maze.

Rumpelstiltskin found himself unfrozen from the squid ink and acted quickly. He was about to hurtle a fireball at Emma when he realized he couldn't form one. He tried and tried.

Emma looked at him rather amused at his attempt to try to form one.

"What is this? What have you done?" he demanded with a rising hysteria in his voice when he couldn't work his magic.

Emma laughed, "You're magic is gone."

She wondered if she could kill him now and swiftly unsheathed her dagger, stabbing him with it. When she slid the dagger out of his gut, she saw no blood. His wound was open but he was still upright, albeit staggering backward leaning against the thick bush walls with a look of shock on his face. He started sniveling, about to turn into a weepy mess.

"Damn!" she was extremely disappointed that he was still alive and looking shocked that she stabbed him. "You're still alive. Well, no matter, I'll find another way."

She thought this could work, that she would kill the Dark One once and for all without becoming another Dark One. His magic was gone. What else could protect him?

She quickly punched him in the face and he fell down. She turned and ran through the maze which she knew like the back of her hand having been through there many times before as a girl. She heard the snorting of the Minotaur nearby and she ran away from the sound. She had been hoping the Minotaur would find the Dark One and torture him so she had more time to get away.

The screams of terror from the Dark One filled her ears and she smiled at the sound.

Rumpelstiltskin was completely horrified at his predicament. He had no magic, no power. He was as helpless as the man he once was. He had not been a Dark One long enough to learn about the labyrinth or any of the magical places of this world. If he ever got out of this, he swore she would make whoever that blonde witch was pay for her transgressions against him. Then he would seek the knowledge of all the magical objects and places in his world. He never wanted to be this weak again.

A few hours later, Emma finally found her way out of the maze and felt her magic return to her. She made sure that the Dark One wasn't following her out of the labyrinth and from his screams started getting very far away so she figured he had a few more hours in there. She teleported to the edge of town and walked toward the book shop. She checked to make sure she still had the magic bean and it was still sitting in her satchel.

As she walked down the flight of steps into the secret magic hideout, she heard muted voices chatting. Stealing herself for an unknown reception, she walked into the room as casually as she could.

"Hello," Emma greeted the two men who were sitting in the room.

One of the men who was leaning back in his chair with his feet resting on the table having a cup of something hot, now planted his feet on the floor and sat forward in alertness. He had a rugged and rough look with his overgrown dirty blonde hair and beard. Despite being rather handsome in a dangerous way, he had the look of a man that has lived a bumpy and uneasy life. He was about in his late thirties, maybe even early forties. The other man who was reading a book when Emma came in, reacted more carefully and was wide-eyed with wonder looking at her. He was younger of the two in his twenties and seemed more refined and gentler looking with his light brown hair and blue eyes.

"You must be Emma," the younger man supposed.

"That's right," Emma answered, proceeding to enter further into the room.

"Well, well, well.. if it isn't the golden statue come back to life," the older rough man said. "Rufus told me your story but hell if I believed him. And here you are."

Emma felt a bit uncomfortable by his predatory stare as if he was trying to see through you and he was coming closer. She stood her ground.

"Yes, here I am."

"How do we know you weren't lying to Rufus?" the man said in a challenging tone.

"She's not," another man wearing glasses called out coming from the bookcases. The older man turned to question him.

"The illustration in this book looks just like her," the man with glasses held out a book to the man confronting Emma and he looked at the picture. He compared the picture to Emma and saw it was the same woman.

"I guess Rufus was telling the truth," the older rough man said with a smile that showed his dimples. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Thanks for the warm welcome," Emma said in a sarcastic tone.

The man with glasses who found the book of illustrations held out his hand to shake hers, "It's nice to meet you, Miss Swan. I've followed your story ever since I was a young boy."

As he was shaking hands with her, he couldn't help but be fascinated that he was talking to a legend and one of his favorite bedtime stories as a child. A bright smile couldn't help but blossom across his face.

He suddenly remembered himself and let go of her hand that he had been shaking for a longer time than necessary, "Oh, I'm forgetting my manners. My name is Oliver William Endicott, the third. Ollie for short. I do a lot of the research around here."

"Nice to meet you, Ollie," Emma answered.

"And this rather dodgy, distrusting fellow is Bane Hunter," Ollie held out his hand to the dangerous looking man. "He is more of the muscle."

Bane licked his lips and with a sly smile he said, "Welcome back to the land of the living, Miss Swan."

"It's nice of you to make me feel so welcome," Emma with a sickly sweet smile that could be termed as satirical.

The other man got up from his chair to greet her.

"And this is Stephen White," Ollie announced.

"You're just as lovely in real life," Stephen said. "Here, pull up a seat and tell us of your adventure since awakening."

He held out his hand to a comfortable, cushioned chair by the fireplace. He offered her some food and refreshment which she was wary of putting in her mouth since she didn't know them very well.

"Where's Rufus?" Emma inquired.

"I'm right here," Rufus declared as he just came from outside, taking off his jacket and hat leaving them on the hook on the wall. "I see you've met the band of misfits."

Rufus asked after their latest adventure. They had just come back from a trip to a kingdom nearby to take care of some midget troll infestation in some of the residential homes. After settling themselves on the couch, they all looked expectantly at her, waiting for her to tell her story of where she was the last few hours.

Emma took a deep breath and told them about the Captain who woke her with a kiss and the Dark One.

Stephen was mesmerized by the tale of the labyrinth.

"I've always wanted to see it," Stephen said with a faraway look as if he were picturing what the labyrinth looked like.

Ollie looked quite alarmed.

"You faced the Dark One and lived? Amazing," Ollie stared at her in awe.

Then Bane added, "Hope you broke his nose."

"Which comes to this," Emma held out the magic bean. "He wants to travel to another realm, possibly to get his boy. Anyone know if my guess is right?"

"Bae, the Dark One's son, did disappear after his father turned into that evil creature and it was rumored that Bae wanted his father to be free of the Dark One's curse so he was overheard talking about traveling to a Land without Magic, but no one knows for sure," Ollie surmised.

"Would it be so bad to send him there?" Emma asked. She had been turning the idea over in her head regarding whether or not she should give him the magic bean and be rid of him, but this was the Dark One. Nothing was ever as simple as that.

"We don't know if he is planning to leave our world for another or doing something worse," Rufus concluded. "It's best if we keep the bean away. I say we keep it in the vault."

Everyone seemed to agree including Emma, so she went to the vault to put the magic bean in a box and chanted several protection spells around it. A plan was discussed with the group to monitor the Dark One and do research into other ways of getting to the Land without Magic.

Emma felt a familiar nostalgia. It may have been a thousand years since she had convened with her friends and family to stop the newest threat to them and the kingdom, but to her it was only a short time ago. The late night discussions & brain storming, drinking hot chocolate with cinnamon, noses buried in a book trying to look for a clue as to what the current villain was up to. It left her with a feeling of melancholy. She would never share those same moments with people she loved again.

Tamping down those feelings threatening to drown her in sorrow, she glanced through the pages of a book looking for spells that would take someone to a Land without Magic trying to find a way to get her mind away from the past.

An hour passed when Bane announced he was going to the pub for a drink. Emma offered to go with him. She figured she needed to get to know this current group of characters. Bane seemed like the one with the most interesting past. Stephen wanted to come along needing a break from the books and the thought of swallowing down some ale was appealing to him. Ollie and Rufus decided to stay since they were engrossed in their current reading material.

It was dark when they all walked to the nearest pub that they frequented when Emma felt a pair of eyes on her. She stared at the beggar covered in tattered robes that was crouched in the street. She kept an eye on the beggar when he got up and started following them. Emma entered the pub and sat down at a table to order ale and a hot beef stew and spent some time chatting with the men. The beggar did not enter the establishment. It was over an hour when they left.

Emma told the men to go on ahead while she took a short walk to clear her head. The men were hesitant to leave her on her own but she reminded them that a person who can face a Dark One could take care of themselves so they left her.

She made her way through the streets still mindful of the beggar that was following her. She ducked into an alleyway to confront the beggar following her. When he came close enough, she came out of the shadows and pushed him against the wall.

"Who are you and why are you following me?" she said as she twisted his arm behind him pushing him against the wall.

"Always a pleasure, my Golden Swan," the beggar said in a familiar, lilting voice.

She turned him around to pull the hood off his head. The strikingly handsome face of Captain Jones appeared before her. His smoldering gaze made her heart skip a beat in the same way that her past true love always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New characters! In addition to Rufus, there's Ollie, Stephen and Bane. Let's see how they fit into this story.


End file.
